‘And the young Lady of St. John.’

’She is well enough, but sadly woeful as to the Mother Prioress, and likewise as to what they hear of the Lord Redgrave.  It is the old man, not his son, a hard and stark old man, as I remember.  He would have bargained with me for the coats of the poor rogues slain at St. Albans, and right evil was his face as he spoke thereof, he being then for Queen Margaret; but then he went over to King Edward, and glutted himself with slaughter at Towton, and here he calls himself Red Rose again.  Ill-luck to the poor young maid if she falls to him!’

It was terrible news for Hal, and Musgrave could not but gratify him by riding by the Minories to endeavour to hear further tidings of the Prioress.

It was a grand building in fine pointed architecture, for the Clares, though once poor, in imitation of St. Clara and St. Francis, had been dispensed collectively from their vow of poverty, and though singly incapable of holding property, had a considerable accumulation en masse.  They were themselves a strict Order, but they often gave lodgings to ladies either in retreat or for any cause detained near London.

Sir Giles and Harry were only admitted to the outer court, whence the portress went with their message of inquiry.  They waited a long time, and then the Greystone lay Sister who had been the companion of their journey came back in company with the portress.

‘Benedicite, dear gentles,’ she said; ’oh, you are a sight for sair een.’

‘And how fares the good Mother Prioress?’ asked the Lord of Peelholm.

’Alack! she is woefully ill when the fever takes her, and she is wasted away so that you would scarce know her; but this is one of the better days, and if you, sir, will come into the parlour, she will see you.  She was arraying herself as I came down.  She was neither to have nor to hold when she heard you were there, and said a north country face would be better to her than all the Sisters’ potions!’

They were accordingly conducted through a graceful cloister, overgrown with trailing ivy, to a bare room, with mullioned windows, and frescoes on the Walls with the history of St. Francis relieving beggars, preaching to the birds, &c., and with a stout open work barrier cutting off half the room.

Presently the Prioress tottered in, leaning heavily on the arms of Sister Mabel and of Anne St. John, while her own lay Sister and another placed a seat for her; but before she would sit down, she would go up to the opening, and turning back her veil, put out a hand to be grasped.  ’Right glad am I to see you, good Sir Giles and young Harry.  Are you going back to the wholesome winds of our moors?’

‘Not yet, holy Mother.  It grieves me to see you faring so ill.’